Blue Ice Drill

Elizabeth Morton (red jacket and sunglasses) and Andrew Haala (orange jacket) operate the Blue Ice Drill (BID) at Allan Hills, Antarctica. The BID cuts the largest diameter cores (241 mm; 9.5 inches) of all the drills in the NSF Ice Drilling Program drill inventory. Credit: Jenna Epifanio/NSF COLDEX

PI Nathan Chellman’s science team pushes a core out of the barrel of the Blue Ice Drill during the 2023 field season at Summit, Greenland. Credit: Nathan Chellman, DRI.

PI Nathan Chellman’s team at Summit Station, Greenland, during the 2023 field season with a large-diameter ice core drilled with the Blue Ice Drill. Credit: Mike Jayred.

The drill tent for the BID-Deep system at Allan Hills, Antarctica, during the 2019/20 field season. Credit: Tanner Kuhl

Tanner Kuhl operates the Blue Ice Drill with a new tower at Allan Hills, Antarctica, during the 2019/20 field season. Credit: Jessica Tinker

Interior of the new Blue Ice Drill tent at Law Dome, Antarctica, during the 2018/19 field season. Credit: Peter Neff

Exterior of the new Blue Ice Drill tent at Law Dome, Antarctica, during the 2018/19 field season. Credit: Tanner Kuhl

The Blue Ice Drill at Taylor Glacier, Antarctica, during the 2014/15 field season.

The Blue Ice Drill at Summit, Greenland, during the 2010 field season. Credit: Ben Hmiel

IDP driller Mike Jayred measures an ice core atop of Taylor Glacier during the 2013/14 Antarctic field season. Credit: Peter Rejcek

The Blue Ice Drill at Taylor Glacier, Antarctica, during the 2013/14 field season. Credit: Josh Jetson